Innova Evo

would just like to say, I love your avatar pic! 

Thanks kindly.  He's been quite a project - he's my boy with numerous allergies.

How do you find EVO feeding tables in relationship to your dogs needs?  Do you find the tables fairly accurate in those regards?  I realize during periods of higher activity and stress you may find your dog eating slightly higher than the tables indicate, but for the most part, do the feeding guidelines correspond pretty close?

LOL.  When I use EVO, we use it in conjunction with rmbs.  I start with approximately 25% of the recommended rate and then adjust the rmb amount if the energy requirements are inaedequate.  My two easy keepers do well right on the recommended rate with 4% body weight rmbs, while my powerhouse dogs require up to twice the rmb amounts sometimes (as in winter or at peak work times - lambing, weaning, or shearing).  I adjust the rmbs rather than the kibble because I feel they "burn" protein and fat calories more evenly.  I do keep the kibble in their diets because they just seem to keep condition better with a small amount of high quality carbs.  This is probably because Border collies are highly engineered dogs that thrived in the past on very minimal, high-carb-based diets.

EVO comes into the rotation at top performance times when they are simply so tired they may turn their noses up at the kibble.  Just 1/4 to 1/2 cup per dog is just a couple mouthfuls.  I mix in canned fish and water, to ensure hydration.

At other times I rotate between kibbles that are formulated with more oatmeal or barley, depending on the season.  The meat included with the kibble, for everyone but Ben, is irrelevant since it's not their primary source of quality protein.  I prefer to use formulations that include named fish meals, however - Border collies do very well with a lot of fish in their diets.

I find that I have MUCH more latitude to "guesstimate" amounts with kibbles that are not as calorie dense.  Ie, I use a measuring cup with EVO but I can use a small bowl that I know contains two and a half cups, to measure out their Mmillenia, Holistique Blendz, Natural Balance, or whatever.

I'm sure that's WAY too much info but I hope that answered your question.  I wasn't exactly sure what you were asking so that was why I was so detailed.  I won't be back here until Monday night or probably Tuesday.

My dog just had a scary bout of pancreatitis and I believe the Innova Evo is to blame. I had been feeding a raw diet for about 5 months and decided to supplement the diet with Evo. It was about a week after that she had the pancreatitis. Evo is very high in fat and fatty foods usually trigger this illness. I also read a couple of similar stories on the web. Every dog of course is unique and will react differently, but it certainly isn't the right food for my dog.

adjust the rmbs rather than the kibble because I feel they "burn" protein and fat calories more evenly

 
That's an excellent point to bring up. In competition sled dog racing, especially in the harder races including the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod, teams will adjust the dogs' diet with protein and fat ratios. They will often feed kibble with high protein and fat and also supplement with extra meat, sometimes raw, sometimes cooked. It's a matter of logistics. The handlers race ahead to the next stop and set up camp and get meals ready, lay out straw and water, and get ready with the poop scoopers. In off season, they will lower the protein and fat ratios. An excellent source of info is the vet who designed Momentum, a fairly popular racing dog formula. I get some of my info from him. He's a vet who races and treats sled dogs. Considering Shadow's ancestry, I asked him if it would be a good idea to switch Shadow to a "high octane" food such as his. He advised against it if we are not in heavy training and competition, i.e., heavy workload.
 
So, I can see where you feed a protein and fat heavy diet, considering how hard your dogs work.
 

Again, good point and right on the money. Fiber is added to dog food because the manufacture must slow down the transit time for fear of diarrhea. If they didn#%92t no one would purchase the product. They have to add fiber because most kibbles (even premium) have so many improper ingredients for the dogs needs. The dogs body knows what it needs and automatically attempts to rush improper ingredients (fruits, vegetables, plants) through the system rather quickly. Therefore, fiber becomes a necessity for improperly structured diets

 
  I think this may be relevant to your point; no one would argue that when a wolf eats a kill it's eating things it's body can't use except for perhaps the hair or feathers. According to a wildlife biologist in Maine this is what wolve's feces look like after they eat a kill;
  
 " The first feces produced after a kill are very dark and quite
liquid-like with little form; it looks to us like diarrhea. Wolves don't
necessarily eat everyday and so the subsequent feces often reflects the
same kill. The next time they defecate, the feces is still dark but has
more form. With each defecation, the feces becomes lighter in color and
contains more substance. Because they often eat the entire animal that
they kill, they ingest a lot of hair. Towards the final defecations
involving the same kill, hair can be seen in the feces actually wrapped
tightly around any bones that are passed through. This seems to protect
the organs/passageways as the bones are eliminated"
 
 
   As stated above the first feces a wolf passes is like diarrhea and then the other stools gradually have more form. My point is that loose stools don't necessarily indicate improper ingredients that an animal can't use. OTOH, most kibbles do have some fiber, usually beet pulp, but I don't think that necessarily means that a dog's stools would be runny if fiber wasn't included; it may not be a necessary ingredient.
 
 
 

I did notice that his stools are small and hard, but he doesn't seem to be straining.

Ricky's been eating Evo for 2 months now and his stools
are also hard but he doesn't appear to be straining.

The only thing I noticed since we've been on Evo is Ricky
has some staining on his beard that he didn't have before.

I had this problem w/ a Catahoula X that was in my care for a few weeks.  At first I believed it to be his anal glands, but after switching his food, he was back to his normal self []
 
I would never feed EVO again, my breed does best w/ protein levels under 25%.